Ditch, v. i. To dig a ditch or ditches. Swift.
Ditch"er (?), n. One who digs ditches.
Dite (?), v. t. [See Dight.] To prepare for action or use; to make ready; to dight. [Obs.]
His hideous club aloft he dites.
Spenser.
Di*ter"e*bene (?), n. [Pref. di- + terebene.] (Chem.) See Colophene.
{ Di*the"cal (?), Di*the"cous (?), } a. [Pref. di- + theca.] (Bot.) Having two thecæ, cells, or compartments.
Di"the*ism (?), n. [Pref. di- + theism: cf. F. dithéisme.] The doctrine of those who maintain the existence of two gods or of two original principles (as in Manicheism), one good and one evil; dualism.
Di"the*ist, n. One who holds the doctrine of ditheism; a dualist. Cudworth.
{ Di`the*is"tic (?), Di`the*is"tic*al (?), } a. Pertaining to ditheism; dualistic.
<! p. 437 !>
Di`thi*on"ic (?), a. [Pref. di- + -thionic.] (Chem.) Containing two equivalents of sulphur; as, dithionic acid.
Dithionic acid (Chem.), an unstable substance, H2S2O6, known only in its solutions, and in certain well-defined salts.
Dith"y*ramb (?), n. [L. dithyrambus, Gr. &?; a kind of lyric poetry in honor of Bacchus; also, a name of Bacchus; of unknown origin: cf. F. dithyrambe.] A kind of lyric poetry in honor of Bacchus, usually sung by a band of revelers to a flute accompaniment; hence, in general, a poem written in a wild irregular strain. Bentley.
Dith`y*ram"bic (?), a. [L. dithyrambicus, Gr. &?;: cf. F. dithyrambique.] Pertaining to, or resembling, a dithyramb; wild and boisterous. "Dithyrambic sallies." Longfellow. -- n. A dithyrambic poem; a dithyramb.
Dith`y*ram"bus (?), n. [L.] See Dithyramb.
Di"tion (?), n. [L. ditio, dicio: cf. F. dition.] Dominion; rule. [Obs.] Evelyn.
Di"tion*a*ry (?), a. Under rule; subject; tributary. [Obs.] Chapman.
Di"tion*a*ry, n. A subject; a tributary. [Obs.] Eden.
Di"to*kous (?), a. [Gr. di- = di`s- twice + &?; a bringing forth, offspring.] (Zoöl.) (a) Having two kinds of young, as certain annelids. (b) Producing only two eggs for a clutch, as certain birds do.
Di*tol"yl (?), n. [Pref. di- + tolyl.] (Chem.) A white, crystalline, aromatic hydrocarbon, C14H14, consisting of two radicals or residues of toluene.
Di"tone` (?), n. [Gr. &?; of two tones; di- = di`s- twice + &?; tone.] (Mus.) The Greek major third, which comprehend two major tones (the modern major third contains one major and one minor whole tone).
Di`tri*chot"o*mous (?), a. [Pref. di- + trichotomous.] 1. Divided into twos or threes.
2. (Bot.) Dividing into double or treble ramifications; -- said of a leaf or stem. [R.] Loudon.
Di`tro*che"an (?), a. (Pros.) Containing two trochees.
Di*tro"chee (?), n. [L. ditrochaeus, Gr. &?;; di- = di`s- twice + &?; trochee.] (Pros.) A double trochee; a foot made up of two trochees.
Dit"ro*ite (?), n. [Named from Ditro in Transylvania.] (Min.) An igneous rock composed of orthoclase, elæolite, and sodalite.
Ditt (?), n. See Dit, n., 2. [Obs.] Spenser.
Dit*tan"der (?), n. [See Dittany.] (Bot.) A kind of peppergrass (Lepidium latifolium).
Dit"ta*ny (?), n. [OE. dytane, detane, dytan, OF. ditain, F. dictame, L. dictamnum, fr. Gr. di`ktamnon , di`ktamnos, a plant growing in abundance on Mount Dicte in Crete. Cf. Dittander.] (Bot.) (a) A plant of the Mint family (Origanum Dictamnus), a native of Crete. (b) The Dictamnus Fraxinella. See Dictamnus. (c) In America, the Cunila Mariana, a fragrant herb of the Mint family.
Dit"tied (?), a. [From Ditty.] Set, sung, or composed as a ditty; -- usually in composition.
Who, with his soft pipe, and smooth-dittied song.
Milton.
Dit"to (?), n.; pl. Dittos (&?;). [It., detto, ditto, fr. L. dictum. See Dictum.] The aforesaid thing; the same (as before). Often contracted to do., or to two "turned commas" ("), or small marks. Used in bills, books of account, tables of names, etc., to save repetition.
A spacious table in the center, and a variety of smaller dittos in the corners.
Dickens.
Dit"to, adv. As before, or aforesaid; in the same manner; also.
Dit*tol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. dittologi`a. Attic form of dissologi`a repetition of words: &?; twofold + &?; to speak.] A double reading, or twofold interpretation, as of a Scripture text. [R.]
Dit"ty (?), n.; pl. Ditties (#). [OE. dite, OF. ditié, fr. L. dictatum, p. p. neut. of dictare to say often, dictate, compose. See Dictate, v. t.] 1. A saying or utterance; especially, one that is short and frequently repeated; a theme.
O, too high ditty for my simple rhyme.
Spenser.
2. A song; a lay; a little poem intended to be sung. "Religious, martial, or civil ditties." Milton.
And to the warbling lute soft ditties sing.
Sandys.
Dit"ty, v. i. To sing; to warble a little tune.
Beasts fain would sing; birds ditty to their notes.
Herbert.
Dit"ty-bag`, n. A sailor's small bag to hold thread, needles, tape, etc.; -- also called sailor's housewife.
Dit"ty-box` (?), n. A small box to hold a sailor's thread, needless, comb, etc.
Di*u"re*ide (?), n. [Di- + ureide.] (Chem.) One of a series of complex nitrogenous substances regarded as containing two molecules of urea or their radicals, as uric acid or allantoin. Cf. Ureide.
||Di`u*re"sis (?), n. [NL. See Diuretic.] (Med.) Free excretion of urine.
Di`u*ret"ic (?), a. [L. diureticus, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to make water; &?; through + &?; to make water, fr. &?; urine: cf. F. diurétique.] (Med.) Tending to increase the secretion and discharge of urine. -- n. A medicine with diuretic properties.
Diuretic salt (Med.), potassium acetate; -- so called because of its diuretic properties.
Di`u*ret"ic*al (?), a. Diuretic. [Obs.] Boyle.
Di`u*ret"ic*al*ness, n. The quality of being diuretical; diuretic property.
||Di*ur"na (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. L. diurnus belonging to the day.] (Zoöl.) A division of Lepidoptera, including the butterflies; -- so called because they fly only in the daytime.
Di*ur"nal (?), a. [L. diurnalis, fr. dies day. See Deity, and cf. Journal.] 1. Relating to the daytime; belonging to the period of daylight, distinguished from the night; -- opposed to nocturnal; as, diurnal heat; diurnal hours.
2. Daily; recurring every day; performed in a day; going through its changes in a day; constituting the measure of a day; as, a diurnal fever; a diurnal task; diurnal aberration, or diurnal parallax; the diurnal revolution of the earth.
Ere twice the horses of the sun shall bring
Their fiery torcher his diurnal ring.
Shak.
3. (Bot.) Opening during the day, and closing at night; -- said of flowers or leaves.
4. (Zoöl.) Active by day; -- applied especially to the eagles and hawks among raptorial birds, and to butterflies (Diurna) among insects.
Diurnal aberration (Anat.), the aberration of light arising from the effect of the earth's rotation upon the apparent direction of motion of light. -- Diurnal arc, the arc described by the sun during the daytime or while above the horizon; hence, the arc described by the moon or a star from rising to setting. -- Diurnal circle, the apparent circle described by a celestial body in consequence of the earth's rotation. -- Diurnal motion of the earth, the motion of the earth upon its axis which is described in twenty-four hours. -- Diurnal motion of a heavenly body, that apparent motion of the heavenly body which is due to the earth's diurnal motion. -- Diurnal parallax. See under Parallax. -- Diurnal revolution of a planet, the motion of the planet upon its own axis which constitutes one complete revolution.
Syn. -- See Daily.
Di*ur"nal (?), n. [Cf. F. diurnal a prayerbook. See Diurnal, a.] 1. A daybook; a journal. [Obs.] Tatler.
2. (R. C. Ch.) A small volume containing the daily service for the "little hours," viz., prime, tierce, sext, nones, vespers, and compline.